REMARKS DENIED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 7 October 1940, Page 7

REMARKS DENIED

“CHALLENGE TO AMERICA.” JAPANESE COMMENT. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 9.20 a.m.) TOJQO, Oct., 6. The Eoreign Minister (Mr Matsuoka) lias denied the statements attributed to him, especially that “I hung- a challenge at America.” Mr Matsuoka said it was unimaginable that any person in such a responsible position as the Foreign Minister could hhve said that. “I made no such remarks,” he declared. Mr Y. Surna (the Foreign Office spokesman) has denied that the Minister made the statement that Japan would be compelled to fight the United States if the United States entered the European war or insisted on the preservation of . the status quo in the Pacific. He alleged that the report was a garbled version of an interview Mr Matsuoka gave to a contributor to the Liberty Magazine.

AMERICA ALARMED,

OBJECT OF NEW ALLIANCE

LONDON, bet. 5.

The United States Secretary of fine Navy (Colonel Knox) said the Japanose-German-Italian alliance -was the most serious challenger to the Alnerican mode of life in history, reports a Washington cablegram. The' alliance, ho said, was directed against the United States, which was tile largest obstacle in the totalitarian ■ Powers’ path should Britain fail to stem, the tide of tyranny. “International brigands surround the United States, whose destruction would bb fiheir greatest victory,” Colonel Knox continued. “Never understanding us, they suppose that our people can be brought under their iron rule. .Both as an American and a navy official I know differently. If a fight is forced upon us we will be ready. We have never lost a war yet. The acquisition of bases from Britain has moved the Atlantic war theatre a thousand miles eastward.”

Colonel Knox declared that there were hundreds, even thousands, of saboteurs in the United States. Every shipyard, factory, arsenal and powder plant hod to be guarded. * A Tokio message reports that the Premier of Japan (Prince Konoye), in an interview at Kyoto, said the question of war or peace in the Pacific depends on “whether the United States and Japan respect and understand each other’s position.” He added that the alliance with the Axis was based on such mutual recognition, ahd the United States could have the same as a quid-pro-quo. However, no overtures to America concerning this had been planned. “Should the United Stales refuse and persist in regarding the alliance as a hostile act, there will be no other course than war,” Prince Konoye said. Questioned regarding the report of a possible Japanese seizure of Wei-hai-wei the Chinese military spokesman declared that the responsibility would rest with Britain, as China had renewed the lease of Wei-hai-wei to Britain for 10 years. SITUATION AT SHANGHAI.

The Sinshun Pao and the l’airiku Shimpu (Shanghai) have renewed their demands for ’i the Japanese army of occupation and the Nanking regime to take over control of the foreign concessions in Shanghai. The Tairiku Shimpu demanded that the consular body recognise a fait accoiiipli in Shanghai, meaning that it recognise Japanese military conquest of the entire area.

Though no official general order has been issued, Americans who have approached their authorities for guidance have been recommended to evacuate their . women and children without delay. The regular commercial means of communication to America is booked to capacity for two months ahead as the result of the sudden rush to evacuate women and children in the last few days. ' . x Reliable shipping circles in New York declare that the Japanese steamship Hakone Maru, en route to the United States from Lisbon, was ordered by the British to halt at Bermuda, where it. arrived on September 30. It was released on Friday and is proceeding to Baltimore. UNITED STATES DEFENCE. NAVAL RESERVISTS CALLED. WASHINGTON, Oct. 5. The Navy has summoned 27,000 reservists, of whom 11.-289 are already on duty. The total strength is 235.000. The Navy has announced that it is disbanding the three-ehip squadrons which have been on duty in European waters since the Spanish war. They are returning to the United States. The War Department has awarded a 37,770,000-dollar contract to the North American Aviation Company, completing the programme of 18,641 aircraft inaugurated on July 1. Hus brings the total to more than 20,000 planes -ordered since early summer. The Canadian-American Joint Defence Board has announced that a definite defence plan has been decided upon to cover any threat of attack as well as the possibility of actual attack itself. . v , President Roosevelt said that consultations between the United States and officials of Latin America On defense problems had been going on for months.